by Renee Casterline

Created on: March 12, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

The beautiful landscape of far Northern California provides a ready-made weekend trip that's a big summer hit: a waterfall tour. The North State is blessed with a handful of fairly easily accessible, graceful falls from stair stepping cascades to plummeting drops. From Shasta Lake up to the slopes of towering 14,162' Mount Shasta, a waterfall tour is packed with beautiful scenery.

While Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is known for its proliferation of falls, there are plenty more to visit. Most of these beauties are in or near parks, where you'll find camping opportunities that make a multi-day trip easy to plan. A northern loop from Redding or Chico will put you on back highways where the scenery while driving and the possibilities for hiking are just as pleasing as viewing the falls themselves. A waterfall tour will take you out into the woods, where you can cool yourself under that shade of a tree, and, in some cases, jump into the water for a chilly dip.

Highway 89
Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to Kings Creek Falls, a 50' plunge that is a joy just to hike in to, let alone see. You'll pass the Kings Creek Cascades, a rippling cascade-style falls of 100' as you clamber down the trail. The trail also passes through a meadow, where summer wildflowers display a variety of color: the bright yellow sulphur flower, vivid red Indian paintbrush, white mariposa lilies, and purple penstemon. The 1.5-mile hike to the falls does have some steep, rocky sections, so come prepared for the terrain and the rocky ascent on the return trip.

While you're in the park there are plenty of options for hiking the trail to view the wonders and mysteries of Bumpass Hell is always fun. You can camp in Lassen, or continue down Highway 89 to McArthur Burney Falls, where cabins, camping and RV parking is available.

Burney Falls is one of the most beautiful falls in the North State, and also one of the most easily accessible. It's a must-see waterfall, plummeting 129' from the creek above, with spray issuing from the basalt rocks themselves. As you descend the trail from the parking lot to the base of the falls you'll feel the mist on your face. Once at the bottom gaze up at this wide, tall plunge that inspires awe and curiosity about the source of the falls. A 1.2-mile trail circles the falls, so you can get a different perspective with a bit more walking.

Farther along Highway 89 you'll come to the McCloud River waterfall complex. The three waterfalls are connected by a walking

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